Exam 2 Flashcards
war
organized, violent (i.e. military) conflict between two or more parties
interstate war
armed conflict between two or more states
extra-systemic or extra-state war
armed conflict between a site and a non-state entity, such as colonial wars and wars with non-state national or terrorist groups
conventional war
armed conflict between two or more states in which military forces of each side are used against each other, and in which weapons of mass destructions such as nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons are not used
general war
armed conflicts in which the participants seek to conquer and control territory of their opponents and use the full available arsenals against military targets and against the infrastructure of the country
limited war
armed conflict with conventional weapons for limited goals and without use of full available arsenals
unconventional war
armed conflict in which civilian and non-military targets are emphasized, forced used include nontraditional forces outside organized militaries, and in which a wide array of weaponry including weapons of mass destructions may be employed
weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
asymmetric war
armed conflict between two or more groups of very different military size or power
IEDs (improvised explosive devices)
a homemade bomb, often placed on roadsides and other sites, fashioned from an explosive devise and a detonator, usually triggered by remote
terrorism
indiscriminate violence aimed at noncombatants to influence a wider audience
state-sponsored terrorism
includes covert and overt repression of and violence against civilian populations, and more extreme acts such as genocide, supported or perpetrated but the state
trinitarian war
armed conflict in which the roles and participation of government, militaries, and populations are distinct
non-trinitarian war
armed conflict in which the roles and participation of government are blurred
power transition theory
systemic theory holding that wars are most likely when charged in power distributions occur
cyclical theories of war
conflict based on the rise and relative decline of leading powers in the international system in which stability occurs as the victors in major wars assert themselves, and war occurs as a function of the subsequent and inevitable rise of challengers to those dominant powers
hegemon
a country that is an undisputed leader within its region or the world. After WW2, the United States was considered the world hegemon
national attributes
features of states or nations such as regime type, type of economy, culture, geography, resources and the like.
diversionary theory
states suffering from poor economic conditions or internal strife are more likely to resort to force outside their borders in efforts to divert attention from those internal problems
war weariness
states that have most recently experienced a significant, costly war are more peaceful in the aftermath because of the impact of those costs and experiences
frustration-aggression theory
resort to violence under conditions of persistent denial of expected treatment, for example, fairness and equality
relative deprivation
discrepancy between what people actually have and what they think they deserve based on what others actually have
ethnic geography
the spatial and ecological aspects of ethnicity, which affect the culture, politics and social practices of states, nations, groups, and individuals
irredentist claims (or irredentism)
claims to territory in another state based on historical control or the presence of people with common ethnic identity
primordialism
stresses the fundamental bonds of kinship and identity that establish ethnic differences that divide people and often generate ancient ethnic hatreds
intrumentalism
stresses the role of leaders who emphasize and exacerbate ethnic differences as a means to their own ends
constructivism (and ethnicity)
emphasizes the social construction of identity and the ways that social interactions define ethnicity for groups of people
political sovereignty
the principle that a state has authority and independence to rule without interference within its own borders
territorial integrity
the principle that other actors should not violate the territory or boundaries of a state
defense burden
the ratio of military spending to overall gross domestic product of a country
revolution in military affairs
the transformation of weapons, military organizations, and operational concepts for military force that leverages the information and communications revolutions of the latter twentieth and early twenty-first centuries
arms race
peacetime competition in armaments bu two or more states driven by conflict interest, fear, and suspicion
alliance
formal commitments between states to cooperate for specific purposed such as mutual defense
protection
(in alliances) an arrangement by a small state to gain help from a larger state
bandwagoning
(in alliances) siding with a rising power to gain benefits
balancing
(in alliances) forming coalitions to counter the rising power and threat of a state
balance of power politics
patterns of shifting alliances, force, and counterforce among states as they seek power, counter the efforts of rivals, and confront security threats
internal balancing
countering the power go a rival by increasing one’s own power and military might
external balancing
countering the power of a rival by forming coalitions with other states
deterrence
persuading a potential adversary to refrain from attacking through the threat of costly retaliation
direct deterrence
the use of retaliatory threats to discourage attacks against the state making the deterrence threat
extended deterrence
retaliatory threats to discourage attacks against allies and friends of the state making the deterrent threat
immediate deterrence
the threat to retaliate against attackers who are believed to be actively considering specific military operations against the target
general deterrence
threats to retaliate in a context of underlying politico-military competition, but when there is no active military conflict generating the need to respond
massive retaliation
the threat to respond to provocations with disproportionate and devastating nuclear attacks
brinkmanship
the strategy of escalating conflicts or crises to nuclear threats in order to force the other side to back down
mutually assured destruction (MAD)
the ability of both sides to field a secure, second-strike capability of sufficient size to destroy a significant portion of the other side’s society
counter-value
targeting an adversary’s cities and industrial centers for nuclear strikes
counter-force
targeting an adversary’s nuclear arsenals and other war-fighting abilities for nuclear strikes
defence
deploying and using military force to fight of an attack
preemption
the use of military force to strike first when an attack is imminent to blunt the effectiveness of the impending attack
prevention
the use of military force to strike first when an attack is inevitable to take advantage of more favorable balance of forces rather than wait for an adversary to fain the advantage from which to strike
national missile defense
the capability to protect a country from nuclear attack by shooting down incoming missiles
theater missile defense
the capability to protect a specific or limited geographic area from nuclear attack by shooting down incoming missiles
compellence
the use of military force to stop a for from doing something it was already doing, or force it to start doing something it was not yet doing
coercive diplomacy
a strategy that combines threats and the selective use of force with negotiation in a bargaining strategy to persuade an adversary to comply with one’s demands
disarmament
the elimination of arsenals or classes or types of weapons
arms control
regulation of the amount, type, positioning, or use of weapons
Baruch Plan
a nuclear disarmament proposal authored by U.S. statesman Bernard Baruch after WWII to place nuclear weapons and energy activities under the control and authority of the UN
collective security
states join together into an organization, ban the use of force by its members, and commit themselves to joining together to respond to any attack by one member on any other member
peacekeeper
the provision of third-party forces from the UN or other regional organizations to help keep peace by providing a buffer between parties in conflict, often along a border or an agreed-upon cease-fire line to monitor and maintain peace
security community
a group of states bound by shared identities and interests and complex interactions among which security threats are virtually nonexistent
cultural exchange
programs involving the exchange of citizens - students, teachers, scientist, artist, and others - between countries to foster cultural understanding and cooperation
democracy promotion
a cluster of activities ranging from diplomacy to aid intervention designed to foster and support democratization in other countries
functionalism and neo-functionalism
technical cooperation on economic and social issues the build linkages and shared interests among societies and expand to more areas, leading to even greater cooperation and institutional connections
Law of the Sea Convention
a treaty thar first went into force in 1982 and then was revised in 1994; 165 states are parties to this treaty, as is the EU, which sets rules for the use and protection of the high seas and its resources
international law
a body of res that binds states and other agents in world politics in their relations to one another
treaty
formal, written agreements among states
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
a 1969 agreement among states defining the nature and obligations regarding treaties under international law
custom
the general practice of states accepted as law; a source of international law
universal jurisdiction
the idea that states have a right and duty to enforce international law when in comes to the most serious human rights abuses such as genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, war crimes, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances, regardless of where these offenses ay occur or whether or not the alleged violator is from another country
reciprocity
in international law, the principle that a state follows international law so that others will do so in return
national enforcement
states enforce some international law through their own national legal systems
horizontal enforcement
those measures that states themselves can take when a state violates an international law and other states can attempt to punish the violator themselves
vertical enforcement
the enforcement of international law by international institutions
compulsory jurisdiction
in international law, the condition in which parties to a dispute must submit the case to a court
majority rule
in internation organizations, a decision process that relies on voting with one vote per member, in which gaining a majority of the votes prevails
weighted voting
in international organizations, a decision rule in which member votes are weighted according to some factor related to size, power or wealth
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
one of the Bretton Woods organizations created in 1946 to help maintain countries facing balance-of-payment problems with short-term loans and also helps countries reschedule their debt
unit veto
in international organizations, a decision rule in which some or all members can block decisions with their voters: in a pure unit veto decision rule every member exercises a veto; in a modified unit veto, only some members have the veto power
P-5 (Perm-5)
the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia - each of which holds veto power
World Bank
a Bretton Woods organization created in 1945 that provides loans and grants to countries for long-term development. The World Bank started by helping fund the reconstruction of Europe after WWII and later focused on helping countries in the developing world grow their economies
Most-Favored Nation (MFN)
the trade status the members of GATT gave to each other, ensuring the each received the best trade terms available. MFN could also be granted to non-members if a country chose to do so
European Commission (EC)
the executive branch of the EU. The Commission is led by the president, has budgetary powers, and includes a 28-member cabinet that oversees policy development in agriculture, trade, social policy, the environment, and many other areas
European Council
made up of the heads of government of the EU member states, the European Council represents the interest of their member states within the EU
Council of Ministers
made up of sitting ministers of their national governments, the council of Ministers represents member states and approves all EU legislation
European Parliament (EP)
the EU legislative body made up of directly elected EU laws, together with the Council of Ministers
European Court of Justice
the EU’s judicial branch whose rulings take precedent over even national law. It is changed with interpreting EU law and ensuring that it is applied equally across all member states
Concert of Europe
a nineteenth century multilateral organization composed of Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France to promote stability, cooperation, and multilateral diplomacy
United Nations
an international institution established after WWII to promote peace and security, the development of friendly relations and harmony among nations, and cooperation on international programs
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
the plenary body of the UN in which all UN members have a seat. Functioning on a majority rule decision process, it is central forum for discussion of global issues
United Nations Security Council
15-member council that carries the primary UN responsibilities for peace, security, and collective security operations.
UN Secretariat
the bureaucracy and administrative arm of the UN
UN Secretary General
the head of the UN Secretariat, the UN’s administrative leader elected by the UNGA at the recommendation of the UNSC
